Formaldehyde-urea molding compositions



Patented June 11, 1940 PATET FORMALDEHYDE-UREA MOLDING COMPOSITIONS Leonard S. Meyer, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Plaskon Gompany, Incorporated, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware i No Drawing. Application August 10, 1938, Serial No. 224,135

3 Claims.

The invention relates to formaldehyde urea molding compositions containing a latent ac,- celerator or curing catalyst.

- When a thermosetting molding composition, such as a formaldehyde-urea composition, is molded under elevated pressure and temperature, it first softens and then hardens at the molding temperature, whereas a thermoplastic composition remains soft until the molded article has cooled. As a result, an article moldedfrom a thermosetting composition can be removed from the mold after a relatively short time and while the article is still hot, and an article molded from a thermoplastic composition cannot be removed from the mold until it has cooled and thus hardened sufficiently so that it can be handled.

The length of time for which a molding composition must be left in the mold is one of the factors that determines the cost of articles molded from the composition. A composition that must be left in the mold twice as long as another composition requires about twice as much molding equipment for the same volume of production, and hot-molding equipment is expensive.

Formaldehyde-urea molding compositions are thermosetting, but articles molded therefrom must be left in the heated mold for a short time after the article has become hard enough to be removed, in order that a resin of optimum propertiesmay be produced. It has been found that curing the resin by keeping it at the molding temperature for the proper length of timeis required to bring out its optimum properties. There is of course a demand for formaldehydeurea molding compositions for which a relatively short period of curing is necessary.

A latent accelerator in a formaldehyde-urea molding composition is an ingredient that 2.6- celerates the curing of the composition without materially impairing its stability in storage at ordinary temperatures. True latent accelerators are very rare. They may be alkaline, neutral, or so slightly acid that they do not appreciably acidify a molding composition when added thereto. It is believed that they are substances that break up or undergo molecular rearrangement to form acids, but do not do so until the molding temperature is reached. The acids so formed must be strongl enough to serve as catalysts that hasten the curing of the formaldehyde-urea resin.

Formaldehyde-urea molding compositions con tain appreciable moisture, and are frequently kept in storage for weeks at a time before being used. Many substances that might be expected I to decompose to form acids under molding conditions suffer the same decomposition, within a few hours after being intimately mixed with a formaldehyde-urea composition, and are there fore not latent accelerators. Moreover, the behavior of a substance when present as a minor ingredient in a molding composition and subjected to molding pressures at the molding temperatures of to C. cannot be predicted from its behavior when subjected by itself to temperatures of 130 to 160 C. at atmospheric pressure. Most of the potentially acid substances that do not impair the stability of a molding composition when incorporated therewith likewise do not accelerate the curing of the composition in the mold.

A substance that materially impairs the stability of a molding composition is a highly undesirable ingredient. The manufacturer of a formaldehyde-urea molding composition must mold articles for various periods of time at various temperatures and pressures and carefully test them to determine the molding conditions and curing time required to give the desired results.

If a molding composition contains an ingredient chloric acid when heated have been known to act as latent accelerators when incorporated in formaldehyde-urea molding compositions, accelerators that liberate organic acids are preferable to accelerators that liberate strong in-' organic acids. Certain organic peroxides, such as benzoyl peroxide, have been used heretofore as latent accelerators, but there are many organic pigments that cannot be used in a molding composition containing a peroxide.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a formaldehyde-urea molding composition containing a novel latent accelerator. More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the description, which merely discloses and illustrates the invention and is not intended to impose limitations upon the claims.

A molding composition embodying the invention contains dibenzhydroxamic acid (CoH5CO-NHOOOC\1H5 or CeHn'C NOCOCqH as latent accelerator. This substance is also called benzoate of benzhydroxamic acid. A formaldehyde-urea molding composition containing dibenzhydroxamio acid as a latent accelerator produces articles that do not develop surface cracks upon exposure to moisture as readily as articles molded from a composition containing benzoyl peroxide.

A formaldehyde-urea molding composition of the usual type, consisting primarily of cellulosic material (40 to and a formaldehyde-urea reaction product, may be employed.

Example A dried formaldehyde-urea molding composition containing parts of alpha-cellulose fiber impregnated with parts of a formaldehydeurea reaction product is ground in a ball mill to- 'gether with 1 part of dibenzhydroxamic acid.

The customary modifiers, such as lubricants, opacifiers and coloring matter, may also be added to the ball mill. After an intimate mixture has been obtained in the form of a fine powder, it may be granulated or formed into pellets so that it can be used conveniently for charging molds. The molding is performed under a suitable pressure at a temperature of about 150 C.

Various applications of the invention may be devised to meet various requirements.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A thermosetting molding composition comprising a formaldehyde-urea reaction product and dibenzhydroxamic acid as a latent accelerator.

2. A formaldehyde-urea molding composition comprising about A; per cent of dibenzhydroxamic acid as a latent accelerator.

3. A formaldehyde-urea molding composition comprising a formaldehyde-urea reaction product, cellulosic material, and dibenzhydlroxamic acid as a latent accelerator.

LEONARD'S. MEYER. 

